


Safe Haven

by xHajime



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Akaashi Keiji-centric, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou are Bros, Happy Ending, M/M, Short One Shot, daishou suguru is an asshole, mentions of abuse, poor akaashi please save him, this one's for you ceamoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29257236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xHajime/pseuds/xHajime
Summary: In which Bokuto Koutarou saves Akaashi Keiji from a relationship he didn't know he needed saving from.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou, past akaashi/daisho
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26





	Safe Haven

**Author's Note:**

> This one is dedicated to my cousin. This is really old lol. Mainly Bokuto's POV

I was working my usual shift at the grocery store when I first saw him.

He was breathtaking, although only dressed in a big winter coat and a fluffy hat, his beauty still seemed to stand out.  
I got a better look on his face when he came up to the register. He had nice brown eyes and vibrant pink lips, little moles scattered his face. I personally thought the one on his nose was cute.

The male dropped a pack of beer and a variety of different chips on the cash register, before taking out his wallet. He seemed like he was in a rush.  
I scanned the items, attempting to not stare at him. I felt his eyes on me.  
"Your total is 10,000 won," I told him, our eyes meeting. I immediately looked down, embarrassed to be attracted to someone so quickly. He seems to notice and smiles at him, before handing me the cash.

I gave him back his change, his jacket riding up around his wrists.

Purple

I think he noticed that I saw something I shouldn't have. He quickly grabs his groceries, and walks off, but not before turning around and giving a small wave to me.  
Before I could react, he was gone.

The only thing left on my mind was the bruises on his wrists.

*

I was hoping to see the man again, although it has been a week since I've seen him last. I had even offered to take extra shifts, thinking maybe, just maybe I would run into him.

My plan worked eventually when I saw him walk into the store, wearing the same big coat from before. He saw me too, but quickly avoided my gaze and headed towards the alcohol aisle.

Why was he avoiding me? I looked around, I was the only register open at the moment. Good.

About a few minutes later, he walked towards my register. He kept his head down while placing the same pack of beer and some hot chocolate mix. I scanned his items and placed it in the bag for him.

He lifted his head to give me the money when I noticed a fading bruise on his left cheek.  
He glanced back down, taking his change and leaving quickly. I stood frozen and watch him rush out the sliding doors.

I want to know who hurt him.

*

I haven't seen the man in almost a month now.

I began to wonder if I was just imagining him, but then I remember the fear he held in his eyes, and how I yearn to hold him.  
As I left my late night shift, walking towards my apartment, I saw him.

He was hunched over on a bench. He looked as if he was crying.  
I asked him if he was okay. He said he was fine.

But when I saw his busted lip and bruised eye, I took him home anyway.

*

His name was Akaashi Keiji.

He didn't really talk much. I never asked about how he got hurt.  
He kept on insisting he was fine, but I cleaned up his cut anyways and offered to sleep on the couch and have him take my bed.   
Akaashi shook his head, stating that he had to go back home. I told him that it was too late to be out alone. 

"I'll be alright."

"But I won't be."

He slept in my bed that night.

*

I didn't really sleep much, I could hear the whimpers from my room. I wanted to go check on him, but I think he wanted to be alone.

In the morning, I made sure to wake up first. I can't really cook, but I made some eggs and bacon anyways. He seems like he deserves a good breakfast.  
We ate in silence.

He told me he had to leave soon. That his boyfriend was waiting for him and probably worried about him.

I had a bad feeling. I didn't want him to leave.

I gave him my number and told him to call me if he ever needed anything.  
He left after that. My stomach hurts.

*

Akaashi stopped showing up after that.

He hasn't called me or anything. I want to believe that he's fine, but I can't.  
I wanted to talk to someone about it, so I told my good friend Kuroo. He told me that I'm worrying too much.

Am I?

*

It was 4 in the morning when I got the call.

"B-Bokuto?"

"Akaashi?"

"C-can you please come and get me?"

My heart stopped.

*

I ran to the address he texted me, it wasn't that far. When I spotted him, my stomach churned.

His lip had a large cut on it, along with a bruise on his cheekbone.  
But then I looked down.

His shirt was covered in blood.

"What happened Akaashi , who did this to you?" I asked angrily. He just shook his head. He started to cry.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed.

I carried him home.

*

When we arrived at my apartment, I set him on the counter of my bathroom. I cleaned up the cuts on his face, he winced in my hold.

I asked him if I can take off his shirt.  
He was hesitant but slowly lifted up his bloody T-shirt.

I wanted to cry.

Numerous bruises were scattered on his body, a new, fresh cut in the center of his chest.

"Who did this, Keiji." He shakes his head, tears in his eyes.

"He loves me Bokuto."

*

After I wrapped the bandage around his chest, I laid him on the bed.

I was going to leave, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Please stay with me."

I did.

*

I woke up with Akaashi in my arms. His cheeks were stained with dry tears. 

His boyfriend didn't deserve him. 

But I don't know if I do.

*

He stayed at my house for another day, I didn't want him to go out again and get hurt. 

He told me who had hurt him. I've never felt so angry.

I told him that he should leave him. He started to cry.

"I can't Bokuto, I love him."

*

Akaashi hasn't left my apartment for almost a week. His panic attacks were getting more frequent.

"I have to leave Bokuto, he's going to be mad." He said, trying to push past me. 

I can't let him leave, not when I know he's going back to him. 

"Please Bokuto, I need him." Keiji started crying. I wrapped my arms around him.

"I know Keiji, I know."

He stayed another night. 

*

I asked Akaashi why he loved him so much.

It was the first time I had ever seen him smile. It made my heart hurt.

He told me that his boyfriend, Daishou, just gets stressed sometimes. That he takes his anger out on him. He told me how Daishou tells him that he's beautiful every day, that he makes him feel special.

"He loves me, Bo, he just gets angry."

I told him that was no excuse. 

He told me he's been telling himself that for 2 years.

*

I had work today, but I didn't want to leave Akaashi alone. He told me to go, that he would be fine.

"Please don't go back to him Keiji."

I came back to an empty apartment.

*

It's been 5 days since Akaashi left. 

I texted him, he said he was sorry. 

I told him to stop being sorry.

He didn't text back.

*

Kuroo told me that I've gotten skinnier, that I should take care of myself. 

I told him Kuroo about Akaashi.

I told him that I loved him. 

I told him how Daishou was probably beating him right now.

He cried.

*

I opened the door quietly, taking small steps up the stairs. I glanced at the living room, Daishou still had his work clothes on, his head in his hands. He perked up when he heard the door and saw me. Daishou quickly made his way over to me, engulfing me in a hug.

"Keiji, babe, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." He started to cry. I cried with him, wrapping my bruised arms around his torso.

"Please don't leave, okay? I love you, I won't hurt you anymore. Just, please don't leave." I nodded.

"I'm sorry, I won't ever leave you," I told him. 

He loves me.

*

It's been a month without Akaashi. I think I'm slowly going insane.

I stopped working at the grocery store, I focused more on my school work. 

He hasn't texted me or anything. I hope he's fine, but I know he's not. Kuroo thinks that Daishou probably realized his mistakes.

I know he's wrong. I want him to be right, but I know Akaashi is suffering.

I'm suffering.

*

I was walking home from university when I saw him. He was sitting in front of my apartment door, arms wrapped around his legs, curled up in a ball. 

"Keiji?" He looked up at me. His right eye was painfully swollen and his nose was surrounded by dried blood. He began to cry.

"I'm sorry."

*

I didn't say anything, I cleaned his cuts and gave him some new clothes. He kept on saying he was sorry.

"I shouldn't have gone back to him." He said. I didn't reply.

"You probably think I'm stupid." Silence.

"Why'd you go back? When I told you not to. When you knew you were going to get hurt." I finally asked, looking at him.

He smiled. "Daishou was my everything. He was all I had. I loved him." He paused for a second.

"He always told me I was nothing without him, and I really believed that." My blood boiled.

"The first time I left him, I had no one to go to, my family disowned me for being gay, my friends left me because of my relationship with him. There was nowhere to run, so I stayed at a hotel for a while. He found me eventually, he begged me to come back, that he wouldn't hurt me again. I believed him. I knew he was stressed out from work. So I stayed, and at first, he kept his promise, but work got more stressful and he went back to hitting me. He was always drunk when he hurt me, he never hit me when he was sober." His breathe began to waver a bit.

"I used that as an excuse, that he was just drunk so he didn't mean it. Because when he wasn't hitting me, he made me feel whole. He told me that he loved me, he took me out on dates, he treated me like a prince. When I wanted to leave, those were the things I thought about before walking out the door, he always gave me a reason to believe him. That's why I stayed, Bokuto."

I started to cry, and for the first time, I had to be the one taken care of.

*

It's been a few days since Akaashi showed up at my door. I learned more about him and fell more in love with him.

He was two years older than me and worked as a kindergarten teacher. I told him that it suited him and he smiled. 

I want him to smile all the time.

*  
I learned that he dislikes coffee and prefers hot chocolate, how he is afraid of heights and that he likes to draw. When he found out that I was an art major, he got excited and asked me to teach him how to draw. We spent the evening drawing and watching movies.

I liked seeing him happy.

I wanted to be the reason he is happy.

*

Today I asked him if he was planning to go back to Daishou. I was surprised when he shook his head.

"I don't have anywhere else to go though, so I guess I have to figure that out." He told me. I told him that he can just stay with me.

"Are you sure Bokuto? I've been staying here for a while, I don't want to be a bother."

"You've been bothering me for the past 3 months Keiji, I think your fine." I joked.

He laughed. I could listen to him laugh all day.

*

Akaashi said that he had to go back to the house, just to gather all his things.

He asked me to come with him, I agreed right away.

"I'm kind of scared Kou." 

"Don't be Keiji, he won't hurt you when I'm there, I promise."

He gives me one of his boxy grins that have been showing up more recently.

I want him to smile forever.

*

We stood in front of Akaashi's home, he has been fidgeting since we got here so I held his hand for reassurance. He looked at me and gave me a small smile before we walked up the steps. He took the key out of his pocket and opened the door shakily.

"He should be at work right now, but I'm not really sure." I nodded.

We entered the house, it reeked of booze and sweat, making my nostrils hurt. Akaashi let go of my hand and quietly made his way up the stairs. I followed his footsteps until we reached the top.

"Baby, is that you?" Akaashi froze. A man, who I assumed was Daishou, laid lazily on the couch, multiple beer bottles surrounding him. He was definitely drunk, so I instinctively pulled Akaashi behind me. Daishou gets up from the couch, stumbling a little before he sees me.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked sharply. He wasn't that muscular, and he was drunk so I can probably take him out if he tries to hurt Keiji.

"He's a friend Daishou, he's helping me get my stuff," Keiji says from behind me. He no longer looks afraid and steps out of Bokuto's shadow.

"What do you mean? You're not going anywhere. You promised me you were going to stay!" Daishou yelled angrily, stomping towards us.

"That was before you said you were going to stop hurting me! I can't be with you anymore Daishou, I'm sorry." Akaashi whispered the last part. My heart ached.

"So that's it? You're going to leave me for what, him? I bet you've been whoring around, eh?" Daishou spits, making Keiji flinch. I clench my fists angrily, doing my best to keep calm. I didn't want to scare Akaashi.

"Look, buddy," I begin to say,

"He doesn't want you anymore, you don't deserve him. He has been faithful to you for 2 years and all you do is hurt him. What kind of person hurts the one they love, huh?" I felt myself getting angrier.

"You don't know shit, kid. He is nothing without me, I'm the only one who loves him." Daishou gets closer, his breath reeking of alcohol. He shoves me slightly, and that's when I snapped. I grabbed his grubby t-shirt and pinned him against the wall.

"That's where your wrong, pal." I start, my face dangerously close to his.

"I love him, and I know sure as hell that he is everything, without you," Daishou seems shocked at first but then scoffs, fighting out of my grasp.

"Fine then, I don't give a fuck, take your shit and leave Akaashi. I don't need you anyways." Daishou grabs his coat, and walks out the door, slamming it loudly. It wasn't until the house was finally at ease when I heard soft sobs from behind me. I turn around, watching as Keiji slowly breaks down in front of me. I rush to his side and hold him in my arms, never letting go. 

"Thank you. Thank you so much Bokuto."

~

We managed to get all of Akaashi's things into my apartment in the one day, Daishou never came back to the house (luckily). Akaashi was quiet most of the day, it hurt seeing him so sad but now that he is officially away from Daishou , I knew I would be seeing that frown less. At night we laid in bed, our backs facing each other. The bed shifted as I felt him turn around.

"Hey, Bokuto?" He started, his deep voice soft and fragile.

"Yeah?" I replied, turning around to face him. The lights from the window cascaded down on his face, making his eyes twinkle in the dark.

"Did you really mean it, when you said you loved me?" I felt my cheeks getting red, feeling thankful that the lights were off. 

"O-oh, you heard that?" Get your shit together Bokuto.

I cleared my throat, "Well, I really did mean it Keiji. I really like you." I watch as his mouth turns upwards. 

"Bokuto, I..." He trails off. Oh man, I fucked up big time.

"I haven't had someone else care about me in a long time. I guess Daishou did, but I realized that wasn't love anymore. And you've been so kind to me since we met. I don't know what I did to deserve your kindness and-" He stops again, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"I really like you too." My heart feels like its beating out of my chest. I leaned in closer, brushing my lips against his. He leaned in too, his soft one's meeting mine.   
That night, I held him in my arms.

I was his safe haven.

His calm after the storm. 

End


End file.
